Memorial ceremony in Springfield honors those who gave lives in service to their country

Photo by Mark M. Murray / The RepublicanSpringfield high school students from Junior Recruit Officers' Training Corps march from City Hall to Court Square during a Memorial Day weekend ceremony on Friday.

SPRINGFIELD – Many veterans, including William Collamore of Holyoke and Walter Orszak of Chicopee, said their participation in the memorial ceremony at Court Square on Friday was just a small way of saying thanks to those who sacrificed their lives for their country.

The ceremony, which began on the steps of City Hall and included the laying of the wreaths at the Court Square war monuments, was sponsored by the Springfield Veterans Services Department. More than 100 people participated including residents, veterans, color guards from local high schools. and city officials.

Collamore, a Korean War veteran, said he has come to the Court Square ceremony for many years “because it is so important that we remember all our fallen heroes... everyone that has made the sacrifice for our country to be a better place in which to live.”

“It is so important that we do this every single year, and it should be every day, but especially on Memorial Day, to come out and spend a little time just thanking our veterans..” Collamore said. While Friday is the unofficial start of the Memorial Day weekend in Massachusetts, Memorial Day itself will be observed on Monday.

Orszak, a veteran of the U.S. Navy, said it is emotional time each year, remembering the sacrifice of veterans. He also praised the sacrifices of veterans who, he said, gave up an important time in their lives to serve their country.

Thomas M. Belton Sr., the city’s veterans services director , said those who gave their lives did so to preserve the freedoms that people now enjoy. Those veterans are owed a debt of gratitude, he said.

Richard J. Tyrell, chairman of the Springfield Veterans Activities Committee, said the buildings at the Court Square are a reflection of what veterans died for: justice, faith and government. He referred to the nearby Hall of Justice, Old First Church and City Hall.

Mayor Domenic J. Sarno said that many enjoy the Memorial Day weekend for the picnics and the special sales, but asked them to also remember the veterans and their families who made “the ultimate sacrifice.”

City officials also made a special presentation in memory of Daniel E. Hamre, a Springfield Fire Department retiree and U.S. Army veteran, who died last month.

Other local officials attending the ceremony included state Reps. Benjamin Swan and Cheryl Coakley-Rivera, D-Springfield, and City Councilors Clodovaldo Concepcion, Melvin A. Edwards, Zaida Luna and Bud L. Williams.